


Lose Sight of the Shore

by kelleigh (girlfromcarolina)



Series: Be Mine: Valentine's Day Meme Fills [5]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Be Mine Valentine's Day Meme (Supernatural & Supernatural RPF), Dancing, Getting Together, Jared/OC, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Singer Jensen Ackles, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29345868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlfromcarolina/pseuds/kelleigh
Summary: When the email reminder for the dinner cruise popped up in Jared’s inbox—fine print along the bottom hammering home the fact that the two tickets he’d purchased were non-refundable—Jared decided he would enjoy dinner, drinks, and music on the harbor by himself. To hell with relationships andlove.Or, Jared endures a couples cruise on Valentine's Day.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: Be Mine: Valentine's Day Meme Fills [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622650
Comments: 11
Kudos: 198





	Lose Sight of the Shore

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt: _Jared's boyfriend breaks up with him right before they're supposed to leave on the Valentine's-themed luxury cruise that Jared purchased as a splurge. It's too late to get his money back, so Jared decides to go anyway. Jensen's the waiter at Jared's assigned table for meals. He also serves drinks on deck. And he happens to be a lounge singer with an 11pm show. He's a man of many talents and little sleep. But who needs sleep when he has Jared to flirt with?_ over at the [Be Mine Comment Meme](https://spnbemine.livejournal.com/995.html) ♥

As soon as the ship pulls away from the pier, Jared’s stomach sinks, and it’s not from the gentle roll and sway of the wide deck beneath his feet.

He knew he shouldn’t have come on this cruise. All around him, couples of all ages—college sweethearts with their hands in each other’s pockets and adoring folks in their seventies enjoying a romantic night out—are scattered across the ship’s deck, taking in the sunset. Orange and purple bleed together against golden-edged clouds, red and pink brushed across the horizon. It’s a gorgeous sight, perfectly Instagrammable, except Jared has no one to pose with.

This Valentine’s Day dinner cruise seemed like the _perfect_ way to surprise Colin. Little did Jared know that he’d be the one thrown for a loop when Colin showed up at his house two weeks ago and told Jared that they needed to break up.

Fourteen days, and Jared is only now coming to terms with it. Beer helped, but so did more aggressive workouts and long conversations with his sister where she real-talked him around to the fact that he and Colin probably weren’t going to last anyway. When the email reminder for the dinner cruise popped up in Jared’s inbox, fine print along the bottom hammering home the fact that the two tickets he’d purchased were non-refundable, Jared decided he would enjoy dinner, drinks, and music on the harbor by himself. To hell with Colin and relationships and _love_.

Jared is an _idiot_. 

Love is all around him and he cannot stand it. The ship, normally used for sightseeing cruises around the harbor, is decked out for the holiday. Red metallic foil hearts, fluffy pink garlands, roses, and every other mass produced romance-inspired swag. The effect is probably tasteful and attractive for those who boarded with unbroken hearts, but Jared wants to rip them off and toss the decorations into the waves. He doubts the organizers would appreciate that.

Sighing into the cool harbor breeze, Jared leans against the railing and lets the gentle slap of the waves against the side of the boat drown out the conversations around him. Declarations of love and loaded flirtations fade away gradually.

“Here, try this.”

Jared pulls back and half-turns to find a man holding a drink tray. “Excuse me? I didn’t order anything.”

“I know, but you look like you could use a drink,” the man offers, extending the tray so Jared can take the glass tumbler. Jared vaguely remembers that this cruise boasted an open bar (for what he paid, the alcohol _better_ be free).

Figuring why the hell not, Jared sips the drink and nods. “Not bad. How’d you know what I’d like?”

“Figured you for a whiskey guy,” the waiter says with a pointed glance down at Jared’s cowboy boots. “Dinner starts in about twenty minutes if you and your date need to find your table.”

Jared’s smile drops. “I don’t...I mean, I’m alone. We just didn’t...things weren’t working out, I guess?”

The waiter gives him a thoughtful look. The longer the moment drags on, the more Jared notices how attractive this guy is. The crinkles at the corner of his green eyes might be the only clue that he’s a couple of years older than Jared. Broad shoulders, dark blonde hair, _freckles_. Jared can’t tell if he’s naturally bow-legged or if that’s just how he prefers to stand against the slight roll of the deck on the water. His white, collared shirt is partially covered by a gray, buttoned vest that does amazing things for the shape of his torso, and he’s wearing a clean, black half-apron that almost reaches his knees.

“Those non-refundable deposits are a bitch, huh?” Jensen laughs. Jared expected surprise or pity. At least the joke makes him feel a little better. “Well, I know the food tonight is pretty damn good, but there’s always more where that came from if you need it,” he adds, nodding at Jared’s glass. “Grab me if you need another. My name’s Jensen.”

Twenty-nine years of southern manners kick in. “I’m Jared.”

Jensen moves on, taking drink orders from various couples spread out on the upper deck, and Jared’s eyes are fixated on his ass outlined in dark denim. He takes another sip of his whiskey—it’s better than the bottle he keeps on the kitchen counter at home—and figures that if he has to endure the entirety of a couples cruise, at least there’s decent eye candy.  


# # # # #

When dinner is about to start, Jared makes sure he gets to his assigned table in the enclosed dining room on the lower deck before everyone else. The idea of walking in after people have taken their seats, all eyes on him, is too humiliating. Fortunately, the small table with his name and Colin’s name hand-lettered on a thick piece of ivory paper is against the wall, leaving Jared less exposed to the room. Doesn’t stop him from feeling conspicuous in a room full of happy lovers.

It gets worse when the first course arrives; everyone must be able to see that only one plate arrives at his table. No one is joining him. 

To his surprise though, it’s Jensen who delivers his plate. “I figured you didn’t want me to bring both,” he tells Jared, leaning down so no one overhears, “but if you want the second helping, I’ll grab it for you.”

“No, this is good. Thanks.” Jared’s not sure if Jensen is helping out of kindness or pity. He doesn’t want to examine it too closely.

“Want another drink?”

Jared looks around at the couples sharing a bottle of wine or champagne. “How about another of what you brought me before?”

Jensen smiles. “Coming right up.”

Unfortunately, being alone gives Jared plenty of time to ponder his recent choices. Jared knows he and Colin probably would have broken up soon anyway, considering the way Colin had started to choose work friends over spending time with Jared. And the sex had become...routine. Lackluster. Jared liked the comfort of the relationship, but towards the end it felt like they were roommates who occasionally had boring sex, not boyfriends.

This cruise was supposed to be a way to put the romance back in their relationship. Maybe it would have only been a temporary fix, a band-aid on a bullet wound, but it would have been nice to _feel_ loved, even for a night.

At least the food is good (and the whiskey doesn’t hurt), Jared figures, as each course is brought out. He tries not to read into the fact that Jensen brings out his plate each time, spending a minute or two in conversation that helps time pass more bearably. And checking Jensen out when he walks away or bends down to serve another table is a fantastic distraction from his maudlin thoughts.

Dinner winds down, which means the portion of the evening Jared is dreading most is about to begin. He lingers as couples slowly make their way back out onto the deck. Jared keeps his head down, letting them all pass, until someone pauses beside his table.

“You’re a very lucky young man,” he hears, looking up to see a woman in her sixties giving him a fond smile. “It’s so considerate, what you’re doing.”

The man with her leads her away before Jared can even begin to respond. Lucky? _Him_? No way. She must have been confused or mistaken.

Once the dining room is empty and members of the crew begin clearing tables and folding linens, Jared takes his drink and moves outside. Most people have moved to the upper deck to await the live band and dancing, but Jared sticks to the lower deck, sipping his drink. There’s only the barest hint of a chill in the air now that the sun has gone down, though thankfully it’s still a comfortable night to be out on the water.

“Gonna head up to catch the entertainment?”

Jared turns and finds Jensen leaning against the railing, looking unfairly attractive beneath the twinkling lights strung up around the ship. Jensen’s apron is gone.

“I was thinking about hiding out down here for the rest of the night. Are you done working?” Jared asks hopefully. Spending the rest of the night talking to Jensen doesn’t sound so bad. He’s gorgeous, funny, and didn’t immediately find Jared pathetic for coming on a romantic cruise all alone.

It might be Jared’s imagination, but Jensen almost seems disappointed. “I’ve got to go and help out with the entertainment,” he says. “The work is never done.”

“Long night for you, I guess.” Jared figures it’s worth taking a chance. “No one waiting at home you’d rather be spending the night with?”

Jensen shakes his head. “Just me. I don’t really mind working tonight. This cruise will pay the bills for the next six months so I can worry about other things.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

Jensen opens his mouth, but the sound of a small band beginning to warm up interrupts whatever he was about to say.

“I guess you’ve got to…” Jared waves towards the upper deck.

Jensen shrugs. As he moves past Jared, he touches his shoulder lightly. “You should really come up and check out the band. They’re not bad.” With that, he makes his way to the rear staircase and disappears.

Despite Jensen’s suggestion, Jared stays put. He can hear the band playing softly as people fill the dance floor set up for the evening. What would be the point, he wonders. Dancing alone would be infinitely more embarrassing than eating alone.

Ten minutes later, his drink is empty and the loneliness is pushing against him like the waves alongside the ship. This is worse than being alone in a crowded room. And the sound of the music, when the wind carries it down to him, is not bad at all. He can make out the lead singer’s voice—the right amount of strength and growl mixed together—as he sings covers of romantic hits from the last decade.

The idea that Jensen might be bartending is what makes up his mind. Jared heads to the upper deck, the music getting louder, walking in at the back of the dance floor, farthest from the stage. Many couples are dancing, some seated in pairs around the edges of the floor with drinks or glasses of champagne. Jared turns to the bar, but there’s no sign of Jensen. He bellies up anyway and sets his empty glass down.

“What are you having?” the red-headed bartender asks with a smile. 

“I’m not sure? It was a whiskey Jensen recommended.”

The woman nods like his request isn’t unusual at all and pours a measure of whiskey from an amber bottle. Jared leaves a few dollars in the tip jar and turns back towards the stage. Now that he’s closer, he enjoys the singer’s voice even more. It rolls through him with the same warmth as the whiskey.

The woman in the next seat is watching him from the corner of her eyes. When Jared looks over, she leans in and says. “He’s very lucky.”

“Huh?” Jared has no idea why people keep using that word. “Who is?”

“Your boyfriend,” she says as if it’s obvious. “My husband never wants to come to work events with me.”

“I don’t—” is all Jared manages to say before the woman’s husband pulls her off the barstool to join the other dancers just as another song begins. Jared realizes the two of them were sitting at a nearby table during dinner. They would have seen him eating alone, so what the hell is going on?

Giving up on that impossible question, Jared cranes his neck, trying to find Jensen, when the crowd suddenly shifts to give him a clear view of the stage. There, in the middle of the raised platform, standing behind the microphone, is Jensen. He’s wearing a flat-brimmed, black hat that makes him look like a folk rocker on an album cover, the sleeves on his white shirt rolled up over his forearms, and he’s singing the hell out of Bryan Adams’ _Heaven_ as couples slow dance in front of him.

Jared’s jaw drops. _Not bad indeed_ , he thinks. Jensen’s real passion is obvious immediately; he was born to be on stage, confident and smooth. His voice hits Jared in all the right ways, and Jared could sit here all night listening to him sing, regardless of what’s going on around him.

And that’s what he does. With Jensen singing, Jared forgets about the loneliness that threatened to crush him earlier, the embarrassment that’s weighed on his shoulders since the moment he stepped on the ship, and the confusion caused by random strangers. He tunes out the couples around him and simply enjoys.

Jared has no idea how much time has passed when Jensen stops singing. After generous applause from the dance floor, another member of the band steps up and whispers something in Jensen’s ear before he pulls the microphone closer and addresses the room. 

“I’ll be taking a short break, but Steve here will be taking over, so all of you Valentines can keep on dancing.”

Jared’s eyes follow Jensen as he steps off stage, but instead of disappearing down the stairs, he heads straight for the bar. Straight towards Jared.

That’s surprising, but what really shocks Jared is the fact that more than a handful of people, including the two women who spoke to him, are watching Jensen walk towards him with grins on their faces.

“You were right,” Jared says when Jensen is standing next to him, “the band’s not bad. Hell of a lead singer.”

Jensen blushing might be the most beautiful thing Jared has seen all night or in his entire life. “Glad you came up to see us.”

“Me too. Can I get you a drink? Are you allowed?”

Jensen shakes his head. His face is half-shadowed thanks to the hat, yet Jared can still see his eyes sparkling. Must be from the adrenaline and excitement of being on stage. “Maybe after the show. I was hoping you might want to dance.”

Not until now, Jared didn’t. “I don’t think anyone’s looking for a partner.”

“I am,” Jensen says, holding out his hand.

There’s no decision to make; Jared is already reaching for Jensen and letting himself be walked out onto the dance floor. They find a space along the far side, already swaying as Jensen pulls Jared into his arms. On stage, Steve is crooning an old love song, and Jared doesn’t think he’s ever lived through such a romantic moment.

They move so naturally together, it’s as if neither one of them is leading. Jared smiles, wondering how the hell he ended up here, enamored with a guy he just met and feeling better about it than he had in almost two years with Colin.

“Something funny?” Jensen asks teasingly.

“I’m having a hard time believing this,” Jared admits. “I never thought anything like this could happen.”

“Glad I’m already exceeding expectations.”

Jared gives up on trying to rationalize how his circumstances have capsized so quickly and enjoys these few moments of dancing with Jensen. The hat he’s wearing makes it difficult to lean much closer though Jared is sorely tempted by Jensen’s lips.

The song ends and Jensen looks at Jared regretfully. “I’ve gotta finish my set if I want to get paid,” he says without letting go of Jared’s shoulder.

“It’s alright. This cruise might turn out to be a good idea after all” He doesn’t miss the flash of heat in Jensen’s eyes. “Maybe people will stop saying weird things to me now.”

“Weird things?”

“Telling me how lucky I am, or how lucky my boyfriend is,” Jared explains. “I don’t get it. It’s kind of obvious that I was alone tonight.”

Jensen glances back at the stage where the band is playing soft music while waiting for their lead singer to return. Some couples use the intermission to grab another drink from the bar or find a quiet corner for themselves to enjoy the stars or something a little more intimate. When Jensen turns back, Jared notices that he’s blushing.

“Yeah, that might be my fault actually.” Jensen drops his hand. “A few people asked me about you. I think they felt a little bad that you were on your own without a date, you know? I _might_ have started telling them that you were my boyfriend and that the reason you looked so sad was because I had to work.”

“That’s…” Jared doesn’t know what to say. His brain is sending signals to his tongue, but something is getting in the way.

“I know it was weird, and maybe you’re pissed, but I didn’t want anyone to pity you just because some idiot was stupid enough to break up with you.”

“You did that...for me?” The words come out slightly breathless from surprise. “You don’t even know me.”

Jensen shrugs. “No, but I’d like to.”

Before Jared can react, Jensen grabs his hand and lifts it to his lips, brushing a kiss against his knuckles. Then he’s striding back onto the stage, welcoming the cruise’s guests back to the dance floor for a final round of dancing as the ship makes its way back to the pier.

Jared backs off the floor and all-but falls into a nearby chair. He can’t take his eyes off Jensen, hips swaying as he starts singing. All he wanted from tonight, before Colin left, was to find the romance again. Jared had no idea that the romance he was looking for wasn’t with Colin at all. With a few small gestures and a kind heart, Jensen turned his Valentine’s Day from something pathetic into an occasion worth celebrating.

Jared has officially _moved on_ , and when he looks at the stage and sees Jensen smiling back at him, Jared hopes he’s seeing a future where love never grows cold and romance is only a touch away.

FIN.


End file.
